Mr. Monk and the Other Detective
- Episode aired Jul 8, 2005
- TV-14
- 43m
Monk has stiff competition solving the case of a murdered jewelry store owner from a second-rate PI with a loser reputation who suddenly displays skills even more amazing than Monk's.Monk has stiff competition solving the case of a murdered jewelry store owner from a second-rate PI with a loser reputation who suddenly displays skills even more amazing than Monk's.Monk has stiff competition solving the case of a murdered jewelry store owner from a second-rate PI with a loser reputation who suddenly displays skills even more amazing than Monk's.
Photos
- Eddie Dial
- (as Rey Gallegos)
- Mall Rat
- (uncredited)
- Sgt. Valdez
- (uncredited)
- Crime Scene Detective
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt the murder scene, Marty curls his left thumb and forefinger into a tight circle and looks through it to see the dog's collar. That is not a silly affectation. It works like reducing the aperture on a camera to sharpen the focus of your eyesight.
- GoofsWhen Stottlemeyer is talking to Marty's mom on the phone, the desktop computer to Marty's right disappears and reappears between shots.
- Quotes
Adrian Monk: [Marty Eels, a screw-up, is solving a case more efficiently than Monk] I think he's cheating. He's a cheater!
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: This isn't the fourth grade, Monk.
Adrian Monk: He's cheating!
- ConnectionsReferences The Prince of Tides (1991)
The first episode of Season 4, "Mr Monk and the Other Detective", is good fun but falls short of being great. It does suffer somewhat from having too much focus on the other detective Marty Eels and not enough on Monk. Jason Alexander does play him very well and provides a few amusing moments, but the character's overuse and his at times whiny personality unbalances things a little. Especially when a huge part of the appeal of 'Monk' is Monk's deductions and observational methods. There are moments where that happens here, but not enough.
Eels' methods of deductions are entertaining and fun to watch if a little on the ridiculous side, it was not that hard to figure out that Monk was right all along and how he did it. Stottlemeyer and Disher are underused here as well.
Natalie however really shines in "Mr Monk and the Other Detective", more so than her previous appearances. Particularly in the tense climax where she plays a crucial role. She is settling in well, her chemistry with Monk is sparkling even more, her personality is starting to become more differentiated and more interesting, she's useful and the two characters function very well together. She has a down-to-earth-ness, sensitivity and sass that makes one warm to her as well as being more sympathetic to Monk's issues. Traylor Howard is doing just fine.
As said many times, one of the best things about 'Monk' has always been the acting of Tony Shalhoub in the title role. It was essential for him to work and be the glue of the show, and Shalhoub not only is that but also at his very best he IS the show. Have always loved the balance of the humour, which is often hilarious, and pathos, which is sincere and touching.
Alexander does a good job, despite the unbalanced focus the episode has. Dana Ivey is excellent as his mother. The mystery is engaging if on the predictable side and there are some nice character moments like the session with Dr Kroger and Monk wanting to drive to school.
It's not just the cast or story though. Another star is the writing, which is also essential to whether the show would be successful or not and succeed it does here. The mix of hilarious wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done. The quirks are sympathetically done and never exploited or overdone.
Visually, the episode is shot in a slick and stylish way, and the music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now. Oh and a good job is done with the different opening credits sequence to accommodate the changes made.
Overall, pretty good but could have been better. 7/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Aug 2, 2017